India to launch its own GPS

India is planning a regional satellite navigation system, similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States.

The GPS, with a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites, serves the needs of the U.S. military. Using radio signals from GPS satellites that are overhead, a GPS receiver can compute its position with great accuracy anywhere in the world. After free access was given to less accurate GPS signals, its use has proliferated into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.

India is likely to participate in either Galileo, the European-led effort to create an alternative to the GPS system, or GLONASS, the Russian military's equivalent of GPS.

The Europeans are touting Galileo as a civilian-controlled alternative to users worldwide. China joined the programme last year. A lack of funds has crippled GLONASS, which has only half the required operational satellites.


India wants to set up the "Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System" (IRNSS), that would be totally under its control. Under the other systems, denial of access to satellite signals or the degrading of signal accuracy, especially in a conflict situation, remains a distinct possibility.

When implemented, the IRNSS would provide positional accuracy similar to the GPS system for 1,500 km around the country, according to the Notes on Demands for Grants from the Department of Space. A configuration with eight satellites was being studied, say officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

In addition, ISRO and the Airports Authority of India are jointly establishing a GPS augmentation system for navigation and precision landing of aircraft over India.

www.hindu.com...

So where are they headed?? IRNASS or GLONASS ..or just plain ol' "A$$"...



Sorry..a little sozzled now..
thousand apologies...
Jai hind...!! 'hic'...

[edit on 6-3-2005 by Daedalus3]

Galileo is planned as more of a civilian oriented network, and the Euros made it clear that they wouldn't divulge with the source codes and what have you necessary for military applications of the same. Also, with Chinese participation already confirmed, I doubt India will invest too much in this, execpt for a redundant civilian network.

GLONASS is an exciting development, and a bunch of MOUs were signed between Russia and India during the Putin visit for co-development of the program. ISRO is planning to launch India-designed satelites to complete the GLONASS constellation. However, this will only get operational in about a decade. By this time, India would probably have designed the Surya ICBM, which along with other extra-regional military applications, like cruise missiles, etc. would use GLONASS.

This Regional Positioning System that the article is talking about (not technically a GPS) is probably an intrim measure for military applications in the regional (read: Pakistan) context, until GLONASS becomes operational, for IRBMs, PGMs, rockets, arty, etc.

I remember what Powell used to say about Galileo

first - The European can't do it, you guys lack the sophistication, don't botter wasting that money...
after that - Europeans don't need it, here, use ours, but remember we got the keys
thirdly - US agrees to some joint venture with Europe in Galileo on undisclosed terms, at least bargaining that probably china won't be able to use this toy in a heated situation..

At first sight, I think the Indians make a sensible move by wanting their own independant GPS, but surely , Pakistan would immediately want one as well, the weaponisation of space will start spreading, I wonder, with china and japan joining in, if there will be enough room in the lower orbits, with all these stealth u.s. SDI kill vehicles that are hypothised to be floating around already ???


[edit on 6-3-2005 by Countermeasures]

[edit on 6-3-2005 by Countermeasures]

Pakistan has ZERO space capability...

China could put one up for Pakistan? for enough money...that'd benefit China in more ways then one.

The safest bet for co-venture is probably GLONASS as the Russians and Indians have been co-operating for quite some time and it's almost impossible to see a conflict arising between the two. Given this I think Russia would be the most co-opertive with giving partial control as it need the influx of money to get the system up in the first place.

With all those satillites up there, at least we can scare any ALIENS looking at us.

LOOK AT ALL THOSE DEFENSIVE LASER BEAMS!!

Agreed, Pakistan currently has zero spacecapacity, exactly why the pakistani nationalist might feel very uneasy about an indian GPS, I wonder if pakistan would try (or be able) to rush their own spaceprogram if an indian GPS is in place, or that they will try joint-ventures and buy launch capacity from third parties.

Those third party being the USA or the Russians, will always mean you have restricted use, maybe the north koreans or the chinese could be found willing to launch an independant GPS for them, but I think the u.s. would pressure pakistan heavily not to do any deals with the Nkoreans and offer pakistan to buy some fancy american weaponry instead.


[edit on 9-3-2005 by Countermeasures]

The ONLY sour point between Russia nad India as of now is the fact that India is opening up to the idea of cosying up to the US..
Otherwise I see no problem in the Russians giving complete control of GLONASS to the Indians.. Esp if the Indians have helped put it up..

Pakistan can only hope to gain any space capability from China or the US..and as of now its struggling to keep its military upto date while holding its economy together..In other words unfotunately Pakistan is on "life support" as it were and the ventilator(s) are the US and China..

A situation which is dangerous for India..a 'dying' Paksitan would be more prone to fundametalist fanaticism based coup..
A prosperous Pakistan is defnintely in the best interests of India..

Originally posted by Odium
China could put one up for Pakistan? for enough money...that'd benefit China in more ways then one.

unlike india china dont have the tech level for this.

all they can do is copy

Oh come on!


The Beidou (Big Dipper) Navigation Test Satellite 1 (BNTS-1) was launched by a Chinese Long March 3M booster on 31 October 2000, into a geostationary orbit slot at 140 degrees East Longitude, to the east of China. It was followed by "Beidou 1B" on 21 December 2000, which was placed in a geostationary slot at 80 degrees East longitude. Beidou 1C was launched into an orbit at at 110.5°E on 24 May 2003 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a CZ-3A booster. With this third launch, China claimed to have completed a constellation of three navigational satellites.
(www.globalsecurity.org...)


Ok,now give me a source which tells me they got this from the Russians or anyone else. China has already beaten India to launch a GPS,and,the GPSes that you listed earlier,one is a joint EUROPEAN project,the other is just from the RUSSIANS,so much for China copying everything,I'll say India copied the Su-30MKI. We are still waiting for India to launch a person into space,so don't waste your time with these one line "China copy everything" posts.

Originally posted by W4rl0rD
I'll say India copied the Su-30MKI

. We are still waiting for India to launch a person into space,so don't waste your time with these one line "China copy everything" posts.

dream on..india bought the Su-30 MKI. they did'nt develop it.

Rakesh Sharma, an indian, landed on the moon 2 decades back, and put the indian tricolour on the moon.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

Originally posted by W4rl0rD
I'll say India copied the Su-30MKI

. We are still waiting for India to launch a person into space,so don't waste your time with these one line "China copy everything" posts.

dream on..india bought the Su-30 MKI. they did'nt develop it.

Rakesh Sharma, an indian, landed on the moon 2 decades back, and put the indian tricolour on the moon.

en.wikipedia.org...

Rakesh Sharma never went to the moon.

He was a squadron leader in the Indian Air Force and embarked on the mission in 1984. The manned space program of the Indian Space Research Organisation has depended entirely upon Russia, and the first Indian cosmonaut became the 138th man into space. He spent eight days in space aboard Salyut 7. Launched along with two other Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz T-11 on 02 April 1984, was then-Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, a 35 year old Indian Air Force pilot. During the flight, Squadron Leader Sharma conducted multi-spectral photography of northern India in anticipation of the construction of hydroelectric power stations in the Himalayas.

Squadron Leader Sharma and his backup, Wing Commander Ravish Malhotra, also prepared an elaborate series of zero-gravity Yoga exercises which the former had practised aboard the Salyut 7. Retired with the rank of Wing Commander, Rakesh Sharma joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as a test pilot. He was based at the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore and worked on the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft program. Current status - retired.

en.wikipedia.org...

arguably the chinese have the most succefull space program in the world with a 100% success rate

18 satelites launched this year alone with no problems.

Seems to me assuming China, India or Pakistan has the technology, placing and using their own GPS system may be far more important, than thinking its only duplication.

The US super-military strategists will have a big problem with the
"Pied Piper" theory I have, i.e.:

Get everyone and all countries dependant on US GPS system then when war comes or a radioactive strike, the US just hits a two buttons -
One that kills all present GPS frequencies effectively cutting off all users, and

Two encrypting US Miltary NEW frequencies and begin operating GPS systems on completely different frequencies exclusive to the US Military, while locking out the rest of the world.

So, other countries deploying an independent GPS system may be of a very-high priority NOW.

Dallas

Here we go again with the Chinese-India juggernaut, we did this and that blah blah!! ITS already done by some one else whats new!?
The Indians setting up a GPS is possible but the chance is remote because it would cost too much even though they have the tech capability, it will still mean massive expenditure into manufacturing and deployment. The most practical thing is to buy license from the Europeans or the US or Russia.
Why does India need a seperate GPS? Does it have any plans of setting up bases in other countries ?? or starting to take a more active role in world affairs??
Pakistan would definitely buy into the American GPS or the European System.
I also wonder if Isreal and India would develope a GPS, they having common needs and all ! (just Speculation)

[edit on 13-3-2005 by IAF101]

my repsonse to some points brought up

1. Pakistan has no capability of this and is unlikely to get such in the near or long term.

2. China does have this level of technology. In terms of satelite technology the two countries are rather similar, perhaps advantage India. In terms of rocket and capsule technology, the Chinese are more advanced.
3. India is not putting up a GPS, but an RPS. It is not putting up a GPS by itself, but it has been confirmed that India will join with Russia to put up the GLANOSS GPS -- not simply funding or paying for it, or buying license rights, but actually working with Russia as an equal share partner to get the system operational. The GLANOSS constellation will be completed with Indian-designed, Indian-launched and ISRO-operated satelites.

[edit on 14-3-2005 by rajkhalsa2004]

Originally posted by Dallas

Get everyone and all countries dependant on US GPS system then when war comes or a radioactive strike, the US just hits a two buttons -
One that kills all present GPS frequencies effectively cutting off all users, and

Dallas

Dude, you guys tried that before, remember the first gulf war.

Your army commanders decided to be cheap and brought the "civ" versions of the GPS which were inaccurate because you made it like that deliberately.

You had "civ" and "mil" GPS systems but apparantly the "mil" one costed too much. US ended up scrapping that idea.

But you might be still right, there could still be a red button somewhere.

Originally posted by W4rl0rD
Oh come on!


The Beidou (Big Dipper) Navigation Test Satellite 1 (BNTS-1) was launched by a Chinese Long March 3M booster on 31 October 2000, into a geostationary orbit slot at 140 degrees East Longitude, to the east of China. It was followed by "Beidou 1B" on 21 December 2000, which was placed in a geostationary slot at 80 degrees East longitude. Beidou 1C was launched into an orbit at at 110.5°E on 24 May 2003 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a CZ-3A booster. With this third launch, China claimed to have completed a constellation of three navigational satellites.
(www.globalsecurity.org...)


Ok,now give me a source which tells me they got this from the Russians or anyone else. China has already beaten India to launch a GPS,and,the GPSes that you listed earlier,one is a joint EUROPEAN project,the other is just from the RUSSIANS,so much for China copying everything,I'll say India copied the Su-30MKI

. We are still waiting for India to launch a person into space,so don't waste your time with these one line "China copy everything" posts.

Just last week (before your post I think), I got news China just launched it's 4th BeiDou-2 (A or B?), right? And it also said, Bei Dou is a GPS system with 24 (12+12) satellites, which rest of them will be launched in 5-10 years. May somebody offer a link?